Into the Woods
by ShutUpAndPull
Summary: Here comes summer, and with it a piece in response to the following prompt: "Season 5/6. Caskett go camping with Ryan, Espo, Jenny, & Lanie. They play in the river/swim, roast marshmallows, etc. Just all sorts of camp-y stuff."
1. Chapter 1

_**Into the Woods**_

 **Chapter 1**

Rick all but skipped out of Gates' office he was so thrilled with himself. Less than five minutes he'd been inside and somehow he'd already managed it. He'd managed to convince her to schedule the trio of detectives out that Friday, together, a feat with an imagined success rate so minute, it'd been worthy of a bet between Javi and Kevin that the former, the instigator of the wager, would soon be paying dearly for losing.

"Roll up your sleeping bags and skewer your marshmallows, boys, we're going camping," he beamed. "Friday, 9AM, my place, be there with your better halves for two days of bliss in the great outdoors." He tossed a reciprocal smile at Kevin, but quickly swallowed it, taking note of Javi's sullen expression. "What's that look for, Esposito? Come on, I just scored you a day off. No high-five?" he asked, his hand just an inch or two from Javi's face.

"He's not a very happy camper right now, Castle, so to speak," Kevin said, stifling a laugh. "He didn't think you could pull it off, and now he's pouting because he lost our bet."

"You guys made a bet? What, that I couldn't convince Gates? Please, I'm still riding high with her after that whole bomb thing with Beckett last week. Just the other day, she didn't ask me to leave her office until _after_ I'd actually already said something." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Against me, Espo? Rookie mistake."

"Shut up, Ryan," Javi barked, though he hadn't said a thing. "And I'm no damn rookie, you got that, Castle?" He took an aggressive step towards Rick, who nearly toppled over onto Kevin's desk with his hasty attempt at retreat. "Good luck convincing Beckett to go, by the way," he snickered over his shoulder as he turned and walked away from them both.

"Beckett doesn't know about the camping, Castle?" Kevin asked.

"Well, no, not yet, I thought it would be a fun surprise. But, really, she'll love it. I mean, who doesn't like camping?"

Kevin patted him on the arm and pulled out his chair to sit. "Yeah, good luck, Castle," he said. "Be sure to let us know how that goes." Rick couldn't see it, but Kevin's smile was there.

 **xxxx**

Rick sat at his desk in his office that night and searched the internet for optimal camping packing lists, his last outing in the woods more years ago than he could recall. He already had the campsite reserved for the six of them at Cheesequake State Park, about an hour outside the city in New Jersey, and while it offered all the amenities he'd deemed necessary for the excursion, he'd only chosen it, among many others, because of its silly name. He doubted anyone would find that surprising.

"Hey, handsome," Kate said, leaning against the doorway, her eyes saying far more than her words. "What does a gal have to do to get noticed around here?" She'd been standing there watching him for several minutes, but hadn't yet managed to win his eye.

His head sprung up from behind the glow of his laptop's screen. "Well, hey yourself, gorgeous, and I'll be happy to answer that once you discard your weapon." He surreptitiously closed his search window and push from his chair, moving towards her as she waited where she stood. "I hope you have a lot of time and a fresh pen, because I have many, many great suggestions for you." He tugged her at the waist possessively and her body came. "Each of them is guaranteed to secure my undivided attention, among other things."

She wet her lips and pushed her fingers through the tiny hairs at the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I missed you at the precinct today," she said. "I know we were supposed to do that thing in our spot, but I got stuck down in records forever. When I got back, Espo said you'd already gone." Her gaze dropped to his mouth and she leaned in for a taste of what the day had so cruelly robbed her of. They hummed in unison at the contact, a tacit pledge of more to come, as she reached down and unsnapped the holster settled beneath her arm.

Something had happened after those hours Kate found herself standing atop that ticking bomb a week ago. As a cop, she understood how quickly a life could be altered, how fragile each moment truly was, but as a woman in love with a man as she'd never been before, the extent of the sacrifice Rick had made to willingly stand by her side through an ordeal had never hit her harder. She'd promised herself in the aftermath that another day would never pass where she didn't show him how much she wanted him, physically, emotionally, in every way.

"I thought a lot about that thing we didn't get to do today, and I'll absolutely let you make it up to me tonight," he told her, "but, first, there's something very exciting I want to talk to you about. Well, I think it's very exciting, and some other people think it is, too, and I also think you will, so I-"

"You're babbling, Castle. That doesn't usually instill a lot of confidence," Kate jumped in, releasing her hold on him and bracing for who knew what.

He exhaled an unintelligible sound and then paused to reconsider his plan. "You know what? I think it can wait until later, actually. Mother is out and I just bought a fresh can of whipped cream." He pulled her back into him. "I'd much rather see what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into first. I mean, if you're up for it."

Kate let her jacket slide from her arms and drop to the floor, her holster quick to follow. "If _I'm_ up for it? I know I'm a cop and not a science teacher, Castle, but I believe that's your job." Making sure the back of her hand brushed him below the belt as she drew it downward, she found the button on her jeans and plucked it open. "So, if you're ready to get to work, go grab the can and get back here." She angled for his ear as she stepped around him. "And don't forget, it's my turn to be the cherry on top this time," she purred.

 **xxxx**

"I love it when we eat dessert before dinner," Rick said, grazing his tongue across a faint remnant of cream that dotted the inside of her thigh. "Maybe we should skip our thing at the precinct more often, because that was incredible."

Kate managed to twist and reach down to grab a fistful of his hair. "Is that really what you want? I thought you liked putting my knee over-"

"If you finish that sentence, you better be prepared for the consequence," he interjected in playful warning. "I just need, like, ten minutes. Then, watch out, Detective." He bit her skin playfully and rolled onto his back with a contented sigh. "God, I do love your knee."

"And that's my favorite kind of threat," she replied, following his body's shift onto her side, her hand on his chest. "So, are you going to tell me your very exciting news since we have a few minutes to kill?"

Rick felt a nervous pang jolt his insides. "Oh, right, that," he said, as though he'd at all forgotten. "Well, um, I've planned a little something, a fun weekend, and I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Does it involve a ridiculous sporting endeavor like the last one, Castle, because you're barely out of the leg brace from that surprise," she teased.

"I'm going to assume that was some sort of roundabout thank you for always trying my best to impress you, and I'm going to continue." She kissed his shoulder and he went on. "Anyway, I had a chat with Gates when I was down there, today, about Friday."

"And what's happening on Friday?"

He cleared his throat, not of need but in preparation. "What's happening on Friday is the six of us are going camping for the weekend - you, me, Esposito, Ryan, Lanie and Jenny. I actually got Gates to release you guys from shift, if you can believe that." He sounded all at once proud and amazed.

"And how exactly did you get her to agree to that?" Kate asked, shocked enough to let the reason for his request lie for more details as to his success.

"Sexual favors, naturally," he replied matter-of-factly. "But, I promise, I made it clear that I save all the really good stuff for you."

"Really good, huh?" Kate quipped.

"Hey, be nice. Remember, Detective, I know about that spot and what it does and I'm not afraid to go there."

She pushed up onto her elbow, inched her leg across his thigh. "Promise?"

"That's more like it," he praised, clutching her beneath the thigh to hold her in place. "And, if you really must know, I promised her, well, okay, I promised I'd stay away from the precinct for a whole week if she let you guys go."

Kate released a hearty burst of laughter. "That's some pretty impressive power you wield, Castle. Careful how you use it." He didn't say a word, and she could tell by the look on his face the hubris he'd felt just a moment before had dwindled. "And that power kind of turns me on, so I'm going to kiss you for a while," she said, swiftly earning his focus, "and then you're going to explain to me why the hell it is you thought I'd ever want to spend my weekend camping."

Before he could summon a reply, her lips were on him.

 **xxxx**

Lanie and Javi piled into the backseat of Rick's car that Friday morning, the tension floating in the air undeniable. "Castle, honestly, there wasn't a nice spa somewhere for us all to go to?" Lanie said. "We're proper ladies, here. We do not belong in the dirt." Kate looked over her shoulder and gave a supportive nod. "You couldn't just drag the boys out to the woods?"

"I'm sorry, 'drag'?" Rick asked incredulously. "Camping is an American pastime, Doctor Parish, a way to commune with nature and friends at once, a perfect way to ring in summer. Besides, Espo said you were really excited about this weekend."

"Oh, did he now?" she hissed in Javi's direction. "It's funny how often I say one thing and he hears another."

"So, Ryan and Jenny are meeting us there?" Javi said, trying to stop the bleeding. "That's cool." Lanie gave him a look and he stopped talking.

"You know, maybe you and I should share a tent, Lanie," Kate said, knowing precisely the effect her suggestion would have on both men, Rick in particular. "That way, the boys can have their fun, and we can have our own."

Rick's head pivoted instantly. "Wait, what? No," he whined in objection, while Kate did her best to swallow her grin. "I bought us a two-person sleeping bag and everything."

"You're too easy, Castle," Lanie chirped from the back. "And, sorry, Kate, but Javi's going to be making this up to me all night long. You're on your own." Javi sat there with a grimace until the implication in her words actually hit him, and then his smile practically lit up the entire car.

"Yeah, sorry, Beckett, but I'm going to have to man up and face the music on this one. Maybe Jenny will bunk with you. Ryan's always doing something to get himself in trouble."

"You guys, why are you…she's not bunking with anyone but me," Rick protested. "I have the tent and the sleeping bag and everyone's going to have a fun damn time this weekend and that's it."

"Don't hold your breath, Castle," Javi ribbed.

Kate glanced sideways at Rick with overwhelming frustration that they weren't alone, that she couldn't tell him to pull off the road so she could do to him what her mind was taunting her with in relentless flashes. He was so beautifully innocent sometimes, despite how mad he drove her, and she adored that. Still, she relished the opportunity to press his buttons, especially when he presented them so plainly. "Yeah, don't hold your breath, Castle," she mumbled just loud enough. And she knew he heard every word.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Rick and his car's crew arrived at the park first, the morning sun already high and strong, and they followed the winding road around to campsite thirteen to begin setting up. Things were quiet around the grounds insofar as they could see, schools not yet out for the summer break, and their neighboring sites sat, at least as yet, unoccupied. They pulled up and parked in front of a large circular area in the light wood, the clearing nestled among trees green with spring and, along its edges, marked by old logs for seating, a large fire pit off to one side.

Rick hurried from the car and marched directly into the middle of their home away from home for the next two days, taking in their surroundings with visible delight. "This picnic table will fit all of us perfectly, you guys," he gushed to the others who followed close behind. "And do you hear that? No horns, no construction, just birds singing, that's it. This place is perfect!"

Lanie swatted away a meddlesome insect with a forceful huff. "Perfect for a 10-year-old boy or the Unabomber, maybe," she mumbled, so only Kate and Javi were able to hear. "Does this place get Wi-Fi, Castle? Maybe if I can get some shoe shopping done, I won't lose my mind completely," she wisecracked, turning his head.

"There's a lake and trails for hiking and a Nature Center, Lanie," Rick offered, his spirit unaffected by her lack of it. "There are plenty of things to do. Plus, we can play games and stuff." He headed back towards the car to start unpacking all the gear from the trunk. "Hey, there's Ryan and Jenny. They should have the rest of the coolers and equipment."

"He's going to be like this the whole time, isn't he," Javi said to Kate, looking on.

"He definitely is," Kate replied with a nod, weary yet endeared. Both watched as Rick gave Kevin a high-five as he climbed from the car. "He definitely is."

"Bug spray for everyone," Rick hollered, and Lanie all but took off running towards him.

"You really are going to owe her for this, you know," Kate said.

"Let's get that tent up, girl," Javi called out excitedly, recalling Lanie's earlier intimation about his indebtedness, and he dashed after her, leaving Kate alone.

Rick was unpacking the trunk of his car like it was some kind of a race, piling up tents and coolers and grocery bags filled with food, and Kate remained behind and watched him. There were a hundred other places she'd rather be for the weekend, that was true, but there was no one she'd rather be with, and despite the, no doubt, countless times she'd want to shove him into the lake that weekend, in that moment, because of him, her heart felt light and she couldn't help but smile.

 **xxxx**

"Does Rick have any idea what he's doing?" Jenny asked as he rubbed at the spot where the tent poll had just smacked him in the forehead.

"It's better than Javi over there," Lanie chimed in. "Took him ten minutes to get our tent out of the damn bag. I'll probably end up smothered by it before morning."

"I can ask Kevin to help, if you want."

"Oh, he's way too proud for that," Lanie declined. "Men are such idiots," she said, taking notice of Kate's expression as she, too, sat and enjoyed the male ineptitude on brilliant display before them. "Girl, you might as well just strip your clothes off and go tackle the man. I swear, if you could see yourself right now." Jenny and Kate both turned in her direction, unclear as to whom she was referring. "Yeah, you," she said, pointing at the latter.

"What?" Kate asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Don't what me. You're ogling Castle like he was Ryan Gosling running down the beach naked. I hope for your sake he gets other things up faster than that tent."

Jenny burst into laughter and Rick looked over at the three of them. "You kind of are, Kate," she concurred.

"See something you like, ladies?" Rick asked with little justification for the conceited air, the pink line along his forehead visible from where they sat.

"Hot stuff, Mr. Gosling," Lanie answered with a giggle as Kate blushed, Rick's resulting expression of puzzlement well warranted. "Looks like you could use some help from your woman, though."

"Nope, I'm good," he said as he tripped over one of the stakes sticking out of the ground.

Kevin waved at Jenny from across the way as he finished securing their tent's rain cover, the final piece of the puzzle, a feat he made look easy, unlike the others, and Lanie glanced over to check on Javi, whom she found mumbling to himself in obvious frustration. "Looks like Jenny is the only one of us girls that gets to sit on her ass with a beer. If I don't go over there and help, he'll be doing this all day." She set her can on the table and walked off.

Kate got up and wandered over to Rick, as well, his struggle less than Javi's, but painful to watch, nonetheless. "Hey, partner," she said, "I think four hands might be better than two here. This tent is as big as some apartments in the city I've been in for crying out loud."

"Well, partner, it had to be big enough to fit our awesome new sleeping bag," he told her with a wag of his brow. "Very cozy, very plush."

"Sure, Castle, because what you want when it's 95 °F outside is cozy," she teased.

"Are you kidding? It'll be more like 195 °F with you there," he said mawkishly. "Hey, what was up with that Gosling thing? What was Lanie talking about?"

Kate shot Lanie a look, though she wouldn't see it from afar, and grabbed the other end of the pole Rick was holding, the two bending it into an arch and anchoring it to two of the stakes. "She was making fun of me, actually, because she thought I was gazing lustily at you over here."

"Oh? And was the good doctor right?"

"Some men just wear clumsy well. What can I say?" she replied with a grin. "Hand me the other end of that last pole and maybe I'll show you what I was thinking about."

"I like this four hands thing so much," Rick said, gladly extending the final piece. They pushed their respective ends into the ground and the shelter finally took shape, his face lighting up at the sight. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he marveled, as though he'd easily managed to construct it himself.

Kate rolled her eyes but came for him as she'd promised. "Excellent work, Ranger Rick," she praised in jocular tone. His face was beaded with sweat and his hands spotted with dirt, but she wrapped herself around him despite both. "You ready to give those guys a little nature show?"

"I am entirely ready for whatever that is, yes," he said. "And let's definitely keep that nickname handy, shall we?"

Kate pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed him hard, her knee rising to find his hip for balance as they stumbled. He clutched the underside of her thigh and lifted her off the ground, her legs circling his waist, but her mouth never broke contact. He tasted of salt, and his exertion had only served to enhance the scent of soap on his skin, making his power over her all the more potent. Unfazed by the public arena and by the eyes on them, they remained in their fervid attention of one another for several minutes. It wasn't until the whistling and clapping began that they pulled themselves apart.

"Get a tent," Kevin yelled, earning a furrowed brow from Javi for his less than humorous attempt at humor.

"You go, girl," Lanie shouted behind him.

Kate shifted and Rick let her down, their clothes already rumpled from the position. She kissed him once more on the lips, this time soft and sweet. "To be continued, Ranger," she purred.

"Cozy and plush," he reminded her. "C'mon, you guys, let's go exploring," he said to the group.

"I need another beer first," Kate sighed.

 **xxxx**

"I wouldn't walk around in there if I were you," Rick cautioned as Kevin wandered ahead. "These woods are covered in poison ivy." He looked down at his bare legs and leapt back onto the path. "Keep an eye on your skin for the next few days, buddy, just in case."

"I told you, Kevin," Jenny groaned.

"Men never listen," Lanie said. "They always have to play."

"Hey, where am I? I'm right here on the path," Javi jumped in in his own defense.

"Yeah, but you're throwing rocks at trees. And what's that? That's playing."

Rick and Kate both snickered as they walked behind the others side by side, their pinkies curled around each other. The air was thick with humidity, but the canopy provided welcome shade from the sun and a modicum of relief from the heat. They opted to hike the Yellow Trail to start; though it was shortest in distance, it was nearest the lake, and a swim certainly wasn't out of the question.

"I actually do love how quiet it is out here," Kate said. "You forget how peaceful the world can be when you're running around the city all day."

"I'll make a camper of you yet, Detective, and I'm happy to hear you've already found something to enjoy. I hope it's one of many."

"We'll see about that," she said, nudging him with her elbow. "You're a close second, of course."

"Yes, thank you, I appreciate that," he chuckled. "Hey, guys, hang a right if you want to head down to the lake." The four faded that direction and he and Kate followed. "You want to go for a swim?"

"Maybe, I wore my suit, just in case." He turned and let his eyes travel her body. "But you knew that already."

"I do remember that quite vividly."

"Behave yourself," she admonished as they stepped down the hill towards the water, the others already standing knee-deep in wait.

"That's easy for you to say. You don't have to look at you. But, let me also take this opportunity to remind you that you were the one who jumped on me back there, so what's good for the gander…"

"I don't think the goose will have a problem for a little while, thanks."

"Okay, but, as long as it's just a little while." He released her hand and quickly tugged off his sneakers, wading into the water and immediately soaking Kevin and Javi in a large spray. "How's the water, detectives?" They both spun around with the unexpected provocation, their faces blanketed in disapproval.

Jenny and Lanie locked arms and shuffled away, sensing what was to come. "Play nice, boys," Lanie said, but she'd barely gotten the words out before both men dove for Rick, sweeping him off his feet.

"Honestly," Kate said to the women, stepping up behind, "do they even need us here for this?"

"I've been asking myself that question since I found out about this whole thing," Lanie answered. "I'm going to go over there to float, far away from this kiddie pool. It's hot as hell out here."

"I'll come, too," Jenny said, following her off.

Kate stood by as the three laughed and wrestled around, all still fully dressed in their clothes, which were now fully soaked. Rick emerged and pressed the water from his eyes as the other two continued, and she managed to draw his attention without a word. Reaching down, she pulled her t-shirt away from her body and up over her head, revealing the red bikini beneath. They held each other's gaze for a long moment, both positively clear in what they wanted, until Kevin appeared out of nowhere and brought Rick down again, and Kate finally moved off to be with the girls.

"Lookin' hot in the suit, Kate B.," Lanie said. "And from what I just saw, it seems pretty clear that Castle definitely needs you here."

"He's just fun to play with, that's all," Kate replied, sinking into the water.

"Mmhmm. So, what's up with you two, anyway? Why do you still have an apartment, and where's the ring?"

"Yeah, when are you guys getting married?" Jenny joined in. "I just bought the perfect dress for a summer wedding."

"Is an ambush from one's friends some sort of camping tradition I don't know about?" Kate asked, dipping her head back to wet her hair and finding them staring at her when she pulled back up. "What? We haven't…things are still pretty new right now with me and Castle. I don't have any idea what might or might not happen or when." She'd definitely thought about it though, a lot. That part she didn't share.

"New?" Lanie questioned. "It's been almost five years, Kate. Hell, these two beat you to it, and Ryan can barely decide anything."

Before Kate could respond, a loud voice boomed from the shore, and they all turned instantly. It was clearly a park employee, his uniform unmistakable, and he was waving them all out of the water. "Folks," he began, once they'd all gathered, "you're not supposed to be down here at this time. The lake isn't open to swimmers until Memorial Day. Are you currently staying here at the park?"

"We are, yes, campsite thirteen, sir," Rick spoke up, the formal address amusing for a supposed authority of the man's terribly young age.

"And did you read your information packet? All the rules and regulations are clearly spelled out for campers and park visitors."

"I'm sorry," Kevin blurted suddenly as Javi did his best to stifle his laughter.

"We're all sorry, sir. It won't happen again," Rick assured him, bending for his discarded sneakers.

"It's for your safety, folks. Now, grab the rest of your belongings and head back up to the trail. And watch that poison ivy up there." Javi jabbed Kevin with his elbow and winked.

The ranger kept his eye on them as they secured their shoes and climbed back up the hill. "Well, this is just getting better and better, Castle," Lanie said.

"Yeah, Castle, what's next, a bear?" Javi taunted.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that in the paperwork."

Kevin patted him on the shoulder in comfort. "It's okay, Castle. I still had fun."

"Suck up," Javi mumbled.

Kate fell back with Rick, hooked her arm around his waist. "I had fun, too," she whispered, and she kissed him on the cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I'm thinking ladies vs. gents," Jenny suggested as Kevin set up the Cornhole boards at opposite sides of the campsite.

They had some lunch when they got back from the lake, and the cold beer was still being passed around and enjoyed. A light afternoon breeze had kicked up and clouds had rolled in, but neither had served to diminish the humidity, and that wasn't scheduled to break for several more days.

"I'm in," Kate announced from her perch on a log nearby. "But we should set up some terms. What does the winner get?"

Kevin immediately looked at Javi and couldn't manage to hold back his laughter, their pre-weekend bet over Gates' decision as yet unrevealed to the rest of the group. "Better not lose this one, too, partner," he teased.

"Oh, yeah," Rick said, "what was that all about? You never told me what you bet."

"This should be good. I can't wait to hear this," Lanie added, perking up.

Javi tilted back his beer can and chugged. "Well, Detective Esposito didn't think Castle could convince Gates to give all three of us today off, so we made a little wager." Kate smiled softly, having been let in on what Rick's efforts actually cost him. "He won't be able to use the, um, facilities with the rest of us this weekend. No, when nature calls, so to speak, he'll be answering up close and very personal. Guess you'll have to watch out for the poison ivy, too, huh, buddy?"

The group's snickers were stifled, but unmistakable. "Yeah, and don't let that pubescent ranger catch you, Espo. You're already on his list," Rick joked.

Javi tossed him a look and Rick swiftly ate his grin. "Whatever, are we going to play or not?"

"How about stakes a bit less crude this time, boys. The losers have to cook dinner for everyone tonight," Jenny proposed, and all agreed.

Almost an hour later, they were just into their fourth game of a predetermined five, with the ladies up two games to one. Javi was beyond his pouting, and the trash talk from both sides had long since begun, exacerbated, unsurprisingly, by the beer they all continued to consume.

"Hey, Castle, how many of those things have you had? You know you're trying to get the bag into the hole, right?" Kate blew him a kiss and then turned to initiate a boastful can-tap with her teammates.

"Be more like Kev, Rick," Jenny cooed, clearly feeling the effects of the alcohol on her tiny frame. "He's gotten all the things into the thing." He hadn't, actually, but she was in no position to understand otherwise.

"Thanks, honey," Kevin called out, and she smiled goofily. "Love you."

"You guys are gross, all lovey-dovey like that all the time," Javi sneered. "You aren't past that yet?"

"I think it's sweet," Rick said.

"You would. You write poetry for a living, bro."

Rick stepped into him, for a change, attempting to assert himself with bravado. "Hey, don't get pissy with me just because you have to piss in the woods, Esposito."

"Ha!" Kevin yipped. "Good one, Castle."

"Javier Esposito, cool your jets," Lanie said. "Don't make me come over there. And throw the damn bag, Castle. Let's get this over with. The girls and I want to sit on our butts and enjoy a victory beer while you losers prepare our feast."

"Do you see what you started?" Rick asked Kate, who shrugged, playing innocent.

"Throw it," she mouthed playfully, and he did, missing the board entirely, again.

 **xxxx**

"I know I did most of the work for you at home, ladies, but that was delicious. Best chicken and veggies over a campfire I've ever had," Rick said, swallowing his final bite. "Tell me, how did that premature gloating appetizer taste?"

"You just couldn't leave it alone, Castle, could you?" Lanie snapped.

"No, no I couldn't, Dr. Parish. The victory of gents, a victory born of dogged conviction and heart, was far too sweet."

"Poetry," Javi pushed out in a bogus cough.

"You're welcome, Esposito. Let's not forget who carried your ass that last game, this poet."

"I'm still stuck on the part where you did most of the work, Castle," Kate chimed in with a quizzical brow.

He took one look at her face and quickly caved. "Okay, fine, Alexis prepared all the bundles, but I was the one who put them into the cooler with the ice so they'd still be edible for tonight." Kate nodded with a smirk. "Packing the food properly is important."

"Of course it is, Castle," she replied patronizingly.

"Is everybody ready for s'mores?" Jenny asked, gathering up the trash from the table. "The fire's still going pretty good."

Rick slid off the bench and tapped Kate once on the shoulder. "I'm in. I'll go grab the stuff from the trunk."

"Um, I'll come help you," Kate said, catching his hint, and the two walked off for the car while everyone else stayed behind.

"They're so going to make out," Kevin asserted to an unequivocal hum of agreement.

"Oh yeah," Lanie said. "Those two are about as subtle as a shuttle launch."

Rick reached into his pocket and pressed the button on his key fob to pop the trunk, and the second he had it open and extended, he pulled Kate into him and his mouth was on hers, their position hidden from the view of the others. He kissed her until he couldn't kiss her anymore, until the point his body might no longer be able to hide the power hers held over him.

"What was that for?" she asked, thumbing the moisture from her lip.

"I can't help it. Do you have any idea how sexy you are when you mock me?"

"I just hope Espo doesn't get the same treatment," she said.

He drew his fingertip down the line of her neck. "No, he gets much less tongue," he shot back. "Come on, grab this bag or they'll think we only came over here to make out."

"Congrats on fooling no one, you guys," Javi said when they returned.

Rick set his bag on the table. "That's it, no tongue at all for you, Esposito," Rick replied, eliciting a giggle from Kate.

"Whatever, bro, hand over the marshmallows."

They unpacked the necessary components and passed them around, all of them gathered around the fire. The night was dark around them and filled with ambient sounds of the forest, the heat lightning flashing in the distance offering a beautiful distraction to the still, muggy air.

"We should play a game or something," Jenny said, sounding like a young girl off at summer camp.

"Yeah, like Truth or Dare," Kevin followed enthusiastically, provoking a smack on the arm from Javi. "Ow. What was that for?"

"What are you, fourteen? We're not playing that."

"How about ghost stories," Rick said, earning a resounding veto from Lanie.

"So, what if we just do the truth part?" Jenny said. "We can go around and reveal something to our partner that they don't already know about us."

Rick straightened up, obviously hooked. "Ooo, and we can call it Campfire Confessions." Kate ran a soft hand across his back, simply because she found him so wonderfully him.

"This should be good," Lanie said.

Since it was her idea, Jenny offered to go first. "Okay, um, Kev, do you remember that wine you made for me last year with that at-home kit?"

"Sure, yeah, but you dropped the box on the floor and the bottles broke, so we had to throw it all out. That was really good wine."

"Well, I didn't drop the box. I only told you I did. I actually poured it all out because it was absolutely disgusting."

"This game's kind of fun," Javi chuckled, while a disappointed Kevin shoved a bite of a s'more into his mouth and said nothing. "What've you got, Castle?"

Rick cleared his throat and Kate leaned in attentively. "Just off the top of my head, I guess," he began, turning to her, "there was that time I rescued you from your burning apartment. You know, when you jumped into your bathtub and you didn't have any clothes on."

"Hello!" Lanie blurted.

"And?" Kate asked, waiting for the rest.

"And I told you I didn't look, but I did." He wiped his brow exaggeratedly. "I still don't think I've recovered, to be honest."

"Awww," Jenny said.

"Really nice, Castle," Kate grumbled.

"Real gentlemanly, bro."

"Oh, like you wouldn't have done the same thing?" Rick protested.

"Hell no, dude, she's my partner."

"Thanks, Espo," Kate said.

Kevin turned to Jenny. "I can't believe you thought that wine was disgusting. Well, then, in the spirit of the game, I hate that tie you gave me for our two-week anniversary, the one you always make me wear. Those polka dots are awful."

"Guess Kevin's going next," Lanie cracked.

"Isn't this fun?" Rick said in an attempt to cool things down. "Anyone want another s'more? Anyone? Okay then, Espo, I think you're up."

"Yeah, sure, I've got one. I denied it when she asked, but I actually kept some of my girl's lingerie from way back."

"You did?" Lanie asked, sounding far less than angry about it.

"Do you still wear it, Jav?" Kate said in jest.

"No, I don't wear it, thank you. It still smells like her and I like that." Lanie tugged on his arm and pulled him towards her for a kiss. "Let's see if you can beat that, Beckett."

"Beat the creepy lingerie thing? Tough, Espo, tough." She really hadn't thought about it in wait of her inevitable turn, and though she found strange the first thing that came to mind when put on the spot, she decided to go with it. "Okay, I actually may have told you this already, Castle, but there was that case, that first case after you came back from your summer away in the Hamptons." She paused for a short moment, remembering how difficult that time was for her and how long ago it felt. "We decided that if I figured out how the dots were connected before you did, you'd leave for good, and if you figured it out first, I had to take you back as my partner."

"Yeah, I remember that. Except for the part where my friend was involved, that was that really cool case with the counterfeit money. And, of course, as so often happens, I did figure it out first."

"Sorry to burst your bubble but, that time, you didn't, actually, and 'often' is really pushing it, Castle."

"Wait, what? I didn't? But, you said-"

"I know what I said. I just, I didn't want you to leave, so I lied."

Kevin clapped. "That definitely beats you, buddy," he said taunting Javi.

"That's so romantic," Jenny said.

Rick cupped Kate's cheek and she nuzzled his palm. "Thank you for telling me that. I never-"

"So obvious," Javi interrupted, and Lanie flicked his bicep in punishment.

"You're the last one, Lanie," Rick said, his eyes still on Kate.

"But certainly not the least," she replied with a snap of her fingers. "So, Javier, you definitely don't know this, but I actually have a very special nickname for you."

"I'm liking the sound of this, already," he beamed.

"And you're the only one who's going to hear it," she said.

"What?" Rick groaned. "Why?"

"Because it's none of your business, that's why." She leaned over and whispered something in Javi's ear, all eyes on the pair, and he immediately jumped from his spot on the log and tugged her right along with him. "Yeah, we're going to bed. See you guys in the morning."

"Night guys," Lanie said wickedly, and the two fled into the darkness towards their tent.

"I'd ask if it was something we said, but I think it's pretty clear it was something Lanie said," Rick noted. "I still don't get why we couldn't hear."

"Maybe it's better we didn't, Castle," Kate said. "We do have to see him every day."

"That's the fun of it," Rick and Kevin replied in unison, both feeling robbed of potentially prime mockery material for the future. Thunder suddenly began to rumble and worry quickly set in. "Shit, I was afraid of that," Rick said. "The forecast said there was a chance for storms tonight with the humidity."

"For added fun," Kate muttered under her breath.

Kevin ran for the two large jugs of water beside the picnic table and he and Rick each poured one over the fire to extinguish it. They sent Kate and Jenny to their respective tents at opposite ends of the circle and tended to the embers that remained. "I just want you to know, I don't know about anyone else, Castle, but I'm really glad you planned this weekend. I think Jenny's having fun, too." Lightning flashed above them and lit up the grounds. "And I think things are about to get interesting."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Rick and Kevin managed to pile almost everything left out from the afternoon and from dinner into the two cars before the steady rain began to fall, though in the darkness it proved difficult, at one point Rick tripping over a large root sticking out of the ground and falling flat on his face.

The thunder and lightning continued above but with greater frequency and severity, the storm growing quickly nearer. Covered in dirt and his knee stinging from the tumble, Rick made certain Kevin was tucked inside his tent with Jenny before he headed for his own, Kate ready and waiting with its front zipper open.

"It's raining," she said amusingly as he climbed inside and collapsed onto his back on their sleeping bag.

"You really are the greatest detective I've ever met," he retorted, out of breath from the race with Mother Nature. "Also the hottest, while I'm handing out superlatives."

She settled in next to him as he pushed himself up into a seated position, his legs stretched out in front of him. She slid her fingers through the wet strands of hair at his forehead and pushed them aside, moving downward next to the hem of his t-shirt to lift it over his head. "Take this off so it doesn't drip all over the sleeping bag," she told him.

"Coming around on the new bed, huh? I told you it was plush." She rolled her eyes and he smiled. "Also, I must admit, I do enjoy it when you're bossy."

She tossed his shirt into the front corner of the tent, away from the rest of their stuff, and when she pulled back she noticed what a mess he'd made of his knee. "Castle, what happened to your leg?" With just the small camping lantern they had with them inside, she wasn't able to see the extent of it, so she reached for her cell phone and switched on its built-in flashlight. "There's a pretty nice scrape here underneath all this dirt."

"Yeah, that's one thing I forgot about camping, all the nature. It stings a little, but I'm sure it looks worse than it actually is. That root really came out of nowhere."

"I know I'm a newcomer to this pastime you love so much, Castle," she said, poking a bit of fun, "but I'm thinking running around the woods in the dark and the rain probably isn't the smartest decision." She crawled forward and grabbed the shirt she'd discarded, using it to help clean up his knee, and leaving a kiss there once she'd done all she could.

"Come here," he said, taking her hand and pulling her towards him so he could reciprocate the kiss. "Thanks for being such a good nurse. It feels better already."

"Ah, but am I also the hottest nurse?"

He cleared his throat in preparation, as though demanding attention. "I'm going to go ahead and save us both a lot of future time here and declare you the hottest everything. Well, besides me, of course."

She punched him lightly on the arm and kissed him once more. "Of course," she said, humoring his ego and watching desirously as he unbuttoned his shorts and shuffled out of them.

"I'm sorry this became such a mess. There really was only supposed to be a small chance this weather was going to hit."

"Get in with me," she said, inching backwards to the head of the sleeping bag. He lifted his body up and moved with her, pulling the top of the bag underneath him and allowing her to shift the whole of it down towards their feet. Tucking in against his side in her tank top and shorts, she traced a fingertip delicately down his cheek. "Listen to it, Castle. I think it's pretty romantic, actually."

They remained still for a long moment, the only sounds around them those of the falling raindrops as they met the tarp protecting their tent and the claps of thunder that followed the soft flashes of light. "I love that you always manage to find beauty in things," he told her, "even at the times when it's the hardest thing to see."

She thought about when she was standing alone in that room with the bomb beneath her feet, after they'd said goodbye and he'd gone, and about the memories that'd played across her mind as she awaited the inevitable. He was right there beside her in all of them, the good and the bad, as he always promised he would be. Learning to trust that, not him but that, was one of the most difficult things she'd ever done, and because of it, nothing of more value than his love had ever come to her life. "That's because of you, Castle. You've helped me to be able to do that."

He rolled onto his side to face her and her body adjusted to his. "Thank you for saying that. I only want you to be happy. But, you really are being an especially good sport about all of this. I know you didn't want to be here, and I'm sorry."

Thunder rumbled again, softer this time. "I'm happy to be with you, though. The rest is just geography."

He pushed in for her lips and she met him, welcoming him openly, and it wasn't for several minutes that they separated, at his instigation. "You know, with the storm passing and the others nearby," he said, his hand traveling down the front of her body as he spoke, "I wonder." His journey stopped when he reached the elastic waistband of her shorts, but it wasn't long before he continued on, slipping beneath.

"Wonder what?" she whispered, settling her hand atop his forearm as he moved.

"Well, I wonder how quiet you can be," he said, stopping mid-thought as his fingers found her, her breath audibly robbed in an instant, "if I don't stop doing this."

The sky lit up again but its companion was now even more faint, the storm brief but satisfying in its gift, and Kate's eyelids drifted shut with his touch, her grip becoming almost possessive as she positioned him where she wanted him. "Please don't stop doing that," she pleaded, her words nearly soundless. Her body slowly began to move against him of its own accord and he kissed a sigh from her lips, one filled with the hint of his name, but until he felt her relinquish her hold on him, until her muscles fully surrendered to him, he didn't relent.

"Is that what you did the last time you went camping, too?" she asked with a giggle, spilling onto her back, his hand still nestled beneath the band of her shorts.

"Funny girl," he said. "Actually, I'm pretty sure the last time I went camping, I barely knew what a woman was, let alone how to make her do that." He brushed away the beads of perspiration tickling his lip. "Guess that makes you my first. That's kind of hot."

"It's definitely hot," she concurred, playing on his words and fanning herself with her hand.

Rick could still hear the rain falling, but its song had sweetened. "Maybe this will help," he said, maneuvering for the tent's zipper, which he opened just enough to let the air from outside flow in. "It's not a lot, but it's something. Turn off the lantern, too," he told her.

"You're not afraid of woodland critters climbing in here with us?"

His eyes snapped back towards the open flap. "Well, I am now. Thank you for that."

"Get over here," she said, tugging on his arm, and he fell back into his spot next to her in the dark. "Sissy."

"Oh, very nice, and after what I just gave you."

She slid her fingers between his and locked their hands together. "I love what you just gave me. It's one of my most favorite things. And, I love you."

"Yeah, I love you both, too."

Neither said anything more for the next several minutes, what little breeze the storm left behind floating over their skin most gratefully. It'd been an enjoyable first day, despite the initial misgivings of some about Rick's plan, despite the rain, and lying there next to Kate at the end of it, he was basking in the high. "What are you thinking about?" he asked finally, knowing her, knowing there was something. "Is it me?" he followed with a discernible grin.

"Do you ever think about what your life might've been like these past few years if we hadn't met, Castle?"

He wasn't sure what was he was going to hear, but he certainly didn't expect that. "I suppose maybe in passing, but, honestly, it's hard for me to even go there because I've loved my life with you more than I've loved almost anything else. I don't want to imagine all this time without you." He squeezed her hand gently and turned his head, though he couldn't see her face. "Do you think about it?"

"All these years, Castle. All these things that've happened. I swear, I close my eyes sometimes and all I see is me with you, like I can't distinguish time, like you've been with me forever. It's just so strange to never have expected someone and then to have that someone feel like the most right thing in your entire world."

"I had a moment like that when I was bringing Alexis home from Paris," he said, "when I was sitting there on that plane, knowing I was coming home to you. It felt like it'd always been you, even before there was you."

Kate released a tiny laugh and came back over onto her side. "Speaking of us, when we were all out at the lake today and you and the guys were busy playing macho, Lanie and Jenny actually asked me if we were getting married."

His hand found her hip and she scooted closer. "And what did you say, Detective? Are we?" he asked in a tone far more thoughtful than she anticipated.

"Well, I didn't have a chance to say very much because the teenage lake police showed up, for one, and because I was a bit blindsided by the question, for another, but I told them things were still kind of new between us and I wasn't sure what might happen in the future. Things in my life don't really tend to follow a normal path, in case you haven't noticed."

"So, tell me, Kate. Right now, right here in this wet forest with all its critters and humid air, tell me what you'd want your future to look like, if you could set it all in motion tonight." She didn't know it and he wouldn't share it with her yet, but there was an important reason for his curiosity, one a short time in the making but a long time coming.

"I don't know, Castle. Not that I don't love being a detective, but I'd like to maybe try to move up in the department at some point. I want to lock that son of a bitch, Bracken, up behind bars to rot where he belongs. A wedding and a family are things I think about, too, I guess." She let her forehead come to rest against his. "Does it freak you out, hearing that?"

"Absolutely not," he said. "In fact, I think Sergeant Beckett has a very sexy ring to it, especially if it involves you wearing any sort of a uniform."

"Ha ha, very funny. My mistake for thinking you were actually being serious for two seconds."

Rick chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm sorry, I was, I promise. Honestly, I love the picture you painted, all of it, and I hope I can be there with you to help make everything you want happen."

Kate slid her knee forward and pushed it between his legs. "Everything I want, huh?"

"I'm a man of great means, Detective. I'll always do whatever I can," he said, rolling onto his back and guiding her on top of his body.

She inched herself downward until she could feel him beneath her. "And if I want that?" she asked.

"Then it you shall have," he said. "Just remember you have to be quiet."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Rick spent most of the night awake with Kate lying peacefully beside him. It wasn't that he couldn't sleep; after all, she'd helped him expend nearly every ounce of energy he'd had, and in most magnificent fashion. It was his anticipation of morning that had him so charged. He knew what he wanted, and, yes, he'd known and wanted it for a long time, but their talk and her words of the previous night had only served to bolster his resolve and to inspire daring.

It certainly hadn't been his plan; that, he hadn't yet formulated, but when he looked down at his watch just past 5AM, he knew exactly what he had to do. Kate stirred when he slid free of their sleeping bag but didn't wake, so he kissed her on the cheek, pulled on a fresh t-shirt and some shorts from his backpack, and climbed from the tent.

The pre-dawn light was but a faint glow in the sky, and the ground was soft from the rain beneath his feet as he stepped out into the clearing, the other two tents still with the early hour. "Castle?" he heard just above a whisper, but distinct in the morning hush, and though he looked around, in the darkness, he couldn't tell where it'd come from. "What are you doing up?" came another voice, and suddenly Kevin and Jenny came into view, bags in hand.

"Me? What about you two? It's barely morning."

The three gathered at the picnic table, away from their sleeping friends. "We're always up this early," Kevin told him. "You know how things are at the precinct, Castle, with schedules and everything. Sometimes this is the only time we have to spend together in a day."

"Not all of us get to work beside our loves every day, Rick," Jenny said, wrapping herself around Kevin's waist from behind. "I have to take him when I can get him."

"I get it, and I'm a very lucky man. This I know."

"So, what's up? You couldn't sleep?" Kevin asked.

Rick was going to send a text from the road a bit later on and hadn't anticipated seeing anyone from the group before he left. "Nope, couldn't sleep," he answered with exaggerated nonchalance. "Since I was up, I figured I'd go ahead and run over to the grocery store to get food and stuff for today," he told them, and that was true. That was part of the reason he was leaving, but it wasn't the important one, the one that had his heartbeat quickened.

"Well, I can come with you and-"

Rick interrupted him mid-sentence, Kevin's participation an impossibility. "No, Ryan, I'll be fine, thanks. You stay here and do whatever it was you two were going to do, and I'll be back shortly."

"Okay, but don't buy coffee. We have a bunch here. We're going to try to get the wet fire pit going to see if we can actually drink any of it. Text me if you end up needing help."

"Thanks, I'll do that," Rick said, moving off for the car. "Back in a bit." He knew he'd be longer than that, though.

 **xxxx**

"Did you try texting him again?" Lanie asked, noticing her eye on Rick's still-empty parking space.

Kate swallowed down the last sip of coffee in her third cup. "No, when I talked to him he said he was on his way back."

"He probably got out of his car in the park somewhere and is busy spinning around in some field like Julie Andrews in _The Sound of Music_ ," Lanie teased. "It's like he's suddenly become Mr. National Geographic or something."

Kate smiled because it was true. "You're probably right," she said. "So, did you go easy on Javi last night?"

"What fun would that be?" Kate nodded as though she expected nothing less. "But I definitely wasn't hearing any complaints."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure no one heard much of anything, thanks to the storm," Kate said both jokingly and thankfully, calling up her own tent fun with Rick. "I'm glad you guys are back in a good place."

"We always seem to be something. That's about all I know."

Kate pushed off the top of the picnic table and onto the bench beside her. "Do you guys ever talk about future stuff or, I mean, has that been a discussion you've had?" Lanie turned and met her eye because it was clear there was something behind the question. "What? What's that look for?"

"Has that been a discussion _you've_ had? You're the one who's so in love that little hearts shoot from your eyes whenever you see the man."

Kate's cheeks instantly flushed pink. "Shut up, Lanie. They do not."

"But you are in love, Kate, and so is he, and I just can't understand why, after all this time, the two of you are still dragging your feet. Wouldn't it be nice if we all had all the damn time in the world?"

Kevin and Jenny's laughter suddenly erupted from behind them as the two stepped back into the campsite with Javi in tow, who held a coffee cup in one hand and a roll of toilet paper in the other. "My partner really needs to work on his balance," Kevin called out tauntingly. "He hasn't quite mastered the squat."

"Shut your mouth, Poison Ivy Boy," Javi hissed as Kevin lifted his leg to scratch at his ankle.

"I'm very glad to be back here with you girls and this," Jenny told Kate and Lanie, reaching for the coffee pot. "Heckle and Jeckle can't stop bickering for two seconds and the day just started."

"Now you know how I feel," Kate said, holding her cup out for another shot.

"Castle's not back yet?" Kevin asked, still busy scratching until he earned a reprimand from Jenny. "Fine, I'm going, I'm going," he groaned.

"Calamine lotion," she announced as he sulked off. "Luckily we remembered to bring the kit with us."

"Wuss," Javi whispered. "So, where's Cas-" A car horn sounded before he could finish his question, and Rick pulled back in behind them. "What did he do, go brew the damn beer himself?"

Kate left everyone else and headed for the car, meeting Rick as he stepped out with a smile. "Detective, will there ever be a morning I don't marvel at how beautiful you look when you wake up? I'll give you a hint," he said, closing the door behind him. "The answer is no." He leaned in and she came for the kiss.

"What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, there was a, I had a, um, traffic," he sputtered. "I love it when you miss me, by the way."

Kate gave him the sideways look he rightfully deserved. "To be honest, Castle, it wasn't so much you we were waiting for as it was breakfast. Got any muffins back there?"

Rick threw his hands over his heart as though she'd wounded him with her words. "This after the incredible gifts I gave you last night."

She pushed in for his ear. "You opened a few, too, as I recall. Pop the trunk, Castle."

He reached into one of his pockets and pressed the necessary button on his fob, the other holding the very reason for his lengthy morning absence. "That's why I got you the everything bagel, Detective," he said, joining her behind the car.

"More like lunch now, isn't it, bro?" Javi gibed, stepping up to help.

"The man who has to shit in the woods is mocking me," Rick quipped, walking past him with a restocked cooler.

"Really nice, Castle," he huffed as Kate slipped by him with a grin.

 **xxxx**

They all ate a late breakfast together, but split up afterwards when the men seemed less than enthusiastic about visiting the Nature Center on the park's grounds. Instead, they opted to stay behind with Kevin's old radio they hoped might pick up the afternoon baseball game, and with the goofy sports equipment Rick had bought for the weekend, namely a spongy football that whistled and glowed in the dark and some sort of Star Wars bowling set that couldn't possibly work outdoors.

The ladies returned several hours later, having impressively hiked the Green Trail out of and the Blue Trail back into camp, with a stop at the Center in between. The humidity was still vicious despite the previous night's storm, and they were all huddled around the beer cooler like it was a fire on a cold night.

"So, you guys tossed a toy around all afternoon for exercise," Lanie said with a distinct air of ridicule.

Rick and Javi both turned to Kevin, who could only shrug. "Not all afternoon," Javi began, looking to Kevin to complete the picture.

"I sort of lost the ball in the woods," Kevin confessed.

"And we sure as hell weren't going into the poison ivy after it."

Jenny rubbed Kevin's back in support. "We'll buy you another one, Rick."

"Please don't," Kate insisted. "If it wasn't this, I'm sure he would've found another way to get himself hurt. Look at his leg from last night."

Everyone looked down at Rick's ugly scrape. "Excuse me, but this injury is the result of pure heroism, thank you very much. I didn't see you running around in the rain trying to save all our stuff, Detective."

"That's because I'm not an idiot, Castle. Were the graham crackers really that important? Didn't you spend, like, three hours at the grocery store this morning, anyway?"

"You know what, I think you need to cool off," he told her, reaching into the cooler for a handful of ice and dropping it down the back of her shirt.

Kate jumped backwards with the shock of the cold and twisted all around until she was able to shake the ice to the ground. Soon they were all dipping into the cooler and chasing each other down, until there was little ammunition left for attack.

"Hold it," Lanie said. "This girl is tired and ready to sit and the next person to hit me with an ice cube gets a swift kick."

"Roger that," Javi said, tossing away the weapon he was about to wield. "We do actually have more ice for the beer, right?"

Rick nodded, somewhat out of breath. "The other cooler's full in the trunk, and I'm with Lanie. Let's sit." He'd emptied his pockets into his backpack when Kate had left for her hike, but his hand instinctively went to it as he bent for the log behind him. "There are some cards on the table over there if anyone wants to play."

"That's definitely more my speed right now," Lanie said, nudging Javi to go grab the deck.

Kate was sitting next to Rick and he set his hand on her leg. "Sunset stroll later, just you and me?" he said softly so as not to draw the attention of the group.

She nodded and kissed his lips, and the butterflies inside him took off.

 **xxxx**

"Would anyone mind if I stole my lovely detective away for a quick walk while dinner preparations get started?" Rick asked as Jenny and Kevin tended to the evening's fire. "We won't be long." With no objections, save for a wisecrack from Javi about Rick's earlier disappearing act, he excused himself to their tent to change his shirt, or so he told her and which he then had to do, and he tucked the pouch back into one of his pockets.

"Don't get caught making out, lovebirds," Lanie warned with a waggle of her finger. "You'll scar that ranger boy for life."

Kate looked back over her shoulder and shushed her as Rick led her towards the trailhead down to the lake. "I'll just take you behind a tree," she told him once they were out of earshot. "He'll never see a thing."

"God, I love you," he said excitedly.

"I love you, too, and as surprised as I am to be saying this, Castle, I've had a really fun time this weekend. I'm actually kind of glad you dragged us all out here."

"There's that 'dragged' word again," he said, "though, I suppose the words around it have improved, which I'm happy about. Maybe we can come out here by ourselves at some point and try it again. I mean, when we can go swimming without ending up in park prison."

"I think we can probably make that happen," she said.

They continued along the trail until they arrived at the descent to the lake. "You want to go down and sit on the beach and watch the sun?" He could see from their spot on the hill they were the only two people around, which was precisely what he'd been hoping for all day.

"It really is beautiful here, Castle," Kate said as they sat together in the sand, her body anchored between his knees, her head at rest against his chest. The waning sun was a ball of bright orange, wisps of cloud dancing around it as it passed through.

"You're beautiful," he whispered in her ear so she could feel the words. Her hand came up around the back of his neck and held him in tender acknowledgement. He took a deep breath in and released it as fingers dipped into his pocket and pulled its contents free. "There's something I've been thinking a lot about," he told her as he held it tight. "Something I've wanted to ask you."

"How mysterious," she began, until he held out his hand and she quickly understood. In that moment, his name was the only other word she could manage to get out.

"I know what my going to Paris alone must've felt like, Kate, and I never want you to think that I don't want you by my side for every minute of the rest of my life." He reached inside for the ring and tossed the pouch aside. "There is no one on this earth who has ever made me feel the way I feel when I'm with you, and I'd like to spend all the days I have left showing you how grateful I am. Katherine Beckett, I'd be honored if you'd agree to wear this ring, and every time you look at it know in your heart that you are the only forever I've ever wanted. Will you marry me?"

She wriggled free and adjusted her position to face him.

"I had it made for you. Do you like it?"

"Rick, it's perfect," she said, leaving a kiss on his lips. "And, yes, I would love to be your wife and to have you as my husband." He slid the ring onto her finger, its fit absolute, and pulled her into his arms, twisting her down onto the sand and kissing her until the setting sun bathed their bodies in shadow. "How long have you had this?" she asked. "I mean, we all know how much you suck at keeping secrets."

"Engaged less than five minutes and already giving me a hard time," he said, biting at her neck. "I went and talked with the jeweler the day after I got back. It's why I was gone so long this morning. I drove to the loft to get it."

"Wait, you drove home this morning?"

"I did, yeah. I hadn't planned on it being this weekend, but I couldn't stop thinking about it after we talked last night, and I just realized I didn't want one more day to go by, so I got up and went."

"We did a lot more than just talk," she said, tickling his lips with her own. "That's probably why I didn't know you'd gone."

"And we did more very well." He pulled back and let his eyes wander over her. "You know I've always loved you, right?"

She nodded, his hand still beneath her head in support. "You know I'll always love you, right?"

He reciprocated her silent reply and lowered his head onto her chest, laying it flat. "We should probably head back before it gets dark. I remembered the ring but not a flashlight."

"So, maybe that whole Ranger Rick title was a bit premature then, huh?"

"Maybe so," he agreed with a sigh. "Ah, a boy and his dreams." He pushed himself up and extended a hand to help her. "So, do we want to tell everyone? I know it was sudden, so if you want to wait it's fine."

"No, I think I'm okay with telling them if you are."

"I'd like to tell the whole world," he said, grabbing her around the waist.

"Worst secret keeper ever," she said, and they headed back towards the campsite.

 **xxxx**

"Hey, perfect timing," Jenny said, noticing the pair approaching. "The kabobs are on and cooking."

"Great, perfect," Rick said, giving Kate's hand a tiny squeeze.

Javi eyed them both stealthily for a minute before speaking up. "What are those faces for?"

"I wasn't aware I was making a face, Javier, but um…" He looked at Kate and she at him and he continued with her tacit agreement. "If you were referring to what I can only imagine was the huge smile on my face, it's because the greatest love of my life has just agreed to marry me."

"Hallelujah!" Lanie exclaimed.

"Oh, Beckett, I'm so sorry, you must be crushed," Javi joked before pulling her in for a hug. "I'm just kidding. Congrats, girl. He's lucky to have you. Nice job, Castle," he said, extending a hand. "It only took you five years."

"Thanks, and how long has it taken you?" he retorted.

"Good one, Castle," Kevin said, coming in to hug them both. "I'm really happy for you guys."

"So happy," Jenny echoed.

"So, I actually bought some champagne this morning, if anyone's interested," Rick said. "I think a little toast to the happy couple is in order." He went to fetch the bottle from the trunk and returned to pop it open, pouring a celebratory sip for all. They'd all just raised their glasses when they were suddenly hit with a set of headlights and a truck pulled up, someone climbing out and making their way towards them.

"Evening, folks," said the very same park ranger they'd encountered at the lake the day before. "It looks like we might have a bit of a celebration going on here. I see some champagne, maybe, and some beer."

"Yes sir," Rick told him, again with the formality. "We've just gotten engaged."

"Engaged, how nice, congratulations, but you are aware that alcohol is not permitted in this park, correct? That's printed clearly in your information packet, just above the swimming restrictions."

"Come on, Castle," Javi groused.

"No, I don't, I didn't-"

"I'm sorry," Kevin blurted nervously for the second time in as many days, and everyone laughed.


End file.
